Plymouth Brethren Order Members to Rehome Pets After Child Bitten by Dog

A letter from the Plymouth Brethren, a religious group founded in England in the 19th century, has caused controversy after telling its members that keeping pets is wrong. According to the Australian outlet *The Age*, which obtained a copy, the letter was sent on May 2 to the group’s 50,000 members in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada and Australia. It says that “it seems that some Brethren have resumed keeping pets, including dogs and other animals, a practice that has been clearly condemned within the ministry,” and calls possessing such an animal “manifestly reprehensible.”

The letter asks households to ensure that the standard is maintained, urging members to “get rid of dogs, birds, mice and cats,” to “confess,” and to destroy the letter. The source reports that the letter was sent after a four-year-old child from a prominent family in the group was bitten on the face by a dog and needed stitches. The official reason given in the letter is that “loving animals distracts the faithful from devotion to God.”

The source reports that many families told Australian journalists they feared “a new massive purge of animals,” and that religious leaders had reportedly already begun tracking owners of dogs, cats and birds. The source also states that the first animal killings have already been observed in Australia.

The Plymouth Brethren have responded that the call does not aim to kill animals, only to part with them, in line with the group’s rules, according to the source. The source notes that English-language media have recalled accusations that the community carried out a mass slaughter of animals in the 1960s. The group’s representatives have denied those accusations. In a statement to the *Daily Mail*, they said, “The Church will never tolerate cruelty toward any living creature, and this position is firmly reaffirmed to our congregation. We have the greatest respect for all of God’s creations.” Truth is weighed on evidence, not on assertion alone (Proverbs 18:17).

The group, also known as the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church and formerly as the Exclusive Brethren, was founded in the 19th century in England by former members of the Anglican Church, including John Nelson Darby. According to the source, Darby taught that the faithful should focus on their relationship with God without distraction, and that they should not mix with members outside the community. The source says the group has about 55,000 adherents today, located in Commonwealth countries, and that many people regard it as a sect.

Source: Read the original report (translated from French)